


The Story of Yag

by KitKatPurrpurr



Category: Journey (Video Game 2012)
Genre: Adventure, Angst, Gen, Possession, demonic, somewhat strong gore
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-30
Updated: 2014-07-30
Packaged: 2018-02-11 01:41:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 14,743
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2048463
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KitKatPurrpurr/pseuds/KitKatPurrpurr
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The story of Yaguareté and his struggle with his fate. A little note: this starts after Yag became some sort of demonic beast an attacked Sendoa, at the time a stranger.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. First Encounter

**Author's Note:**

> This was a roleplay between me and a friend that I put together into one story.
> 
> Sendoa and Lehen belong to Lisasunny (http://lisasunny.tumblr.com/)

“ _I…owww….what?  That guy tore my scarf and ate it like a War Machine! Uhh….I hope he’s not still around._ ”

Yag woke up face-down in the sand. His head hurt and his mouth felt wet.  _Wait, wet?? I thought I just absorbed energy and didn’t need to eat!_  He looked over and saw some scraps of torn scarf nearby, red scarf, so obviously not his.  _Damnit._

Sen hauled herself up.  Frantically she limped a fair distance away from the danger and crouched again near some rocks. The figure was motionless for a while, but then she saw the outline of her attacker stir a bit.  She thought about running.  Flying was out of the question, and would be a worse option than fleeing on foot.  _Wonderful._ The figure’s head raised and began to look around, finally settling on the bits of her scarf strewn around.  Sen froze.  

Yag looked to the side and noticed a red cloak watching him. He stood up and meandered over to them, hoping to ask what they knew. But as he got closer, he saw that they had a torn scarf, and he instantly knew that he was responsible.  _They will not want anything to do with me, I’m sure._  He stopped walking forward.  _{You there! I’m guessing I did that to you. I just want you to know that I’m sorry…I don’t know what happened to me, but I’m guessing it wasn’t good. I don’t attack other wayfarers, so I’m very sorry about what happened…}_  Yag looked down, lowering his ears. He felt absolutely horrible about having been so rude and vicious to an innocent person.

_ So he doesn’t remember?  Okay…. _  Sen thought.

_ "….Yes, you did do that.  You were frightening and attacked like an angry demon.  I hope whatever was…possessing you…is satisfied," _  Sen chose her words carefully, hoping that the behavior wasn’t lying dormant and waiting to strike again.  

_ "By the way, my name is Sen.  I haven’t seen you around at all, and you look like you’ve been….around….a while," _   she finished lamely.  Not that Sen could accurately place any details, anyway.  The figure’s appearance was unique to her, with the odd color and markings on the cloak and scarf.  What really stood out, however, were the ears and face _.  I’ll try not to make any remarks…._

Yag lowered down to the ground to look small and not threatening and walked on all fours over to Sen. He got fairly close to her before sitting down in the sand, swishing his tail calmly back and forth.

_ {I don’t really know what that was that took over me, or if it’s out completely, but if it comes back then run, obviously. I’m on guessing that what I did was…..unpleasant to you, to say the least.} _  He lowered his head a bit for a moment before looking back up.

_ {Anyway, my name is Yag. Well, technically it’s Yaguareté, but I prefer to be called Yag. I live in the Tower in the Underground. The one that heads the passageway to the bottom of the Mountain.} _

Sen thought for a moment, flipping a small rock over with her foot.  She looked down at Yag _.   “Nice to formally meet you,”_  she said, attempting at humor.  She took a half-step towards the rock and flipped back over.

_ "Hmm.  Never heard of anyone actually staying there.  I don’t live anywhere, really.  I kinda just find places to sleep as I go.  Well, okay, I used to stay for long periods of time in a little ruin by the sliding areas, but not anymore. _

_ "Do you live in that tower permanently?  Because I’ve been going this whole time by myself and frankly I’d like someone to just walk around with.  Even if it’s the person who got possessed and tore my scarf.  I can’t get picky," _  she joked.  

_ {Well, I’m not there now. I was working on my journey years ago. I really don’t remember when, but when I reached the tower, I felt my drive gone, as though I should be there. Never did feel the urge to continue beyond there.} _  Yag looked off in the distance _. {Now I mainly meet passing wayfarers, but no one ever is in need of my help and whatnot. I took a small break to wander back when I was suddenly overtaken by darkness and, well, you know the rest.}_

_ "Well that’s over now, thankfully.  Shall we?" _


	2. And So They Went

Yag nodded and stood up. { _So, do you want to see if we can take a journey to the mountain together? It might be worth a shot.}_

Not one to drag conversations out, Sen leapt forward and began to slide down the first dune.   _"Well, what are you waiting for?  Let’s go!"_

Yag followed Sen out into the dunes. It had been such a while since he carelessly wandered through the sandy hills, and he had quite missed it. Taking the opportunity, he got down on all fours to slide down the hills, roaring out in joy.  _I missed the feeling of sand flying by my body and going down so quickly…._  He leapt forward off the dune and over to the next one. His specialty was climbing and hurdling great distances. Remembering his new friend, he stopped and sat down waiting. Calling back to her, Yag said,  _{Sorry, it’s just been a while.}_

Seeing Yag take off, Sen was impressed. _I gotta keep up!_   She tried, but it was impossible. When she finally caught up, huffing and puffing, Sen fell face first into the sand next to Yag. _"You sure can jump,"_  her voice was muffled.  She tried to hurdle off to attempt to get a head start on him, but ended up tripping and somersaulting down the hill.

_Oomph!_ A large wall broke her descent.  She was not surprised to find out that Yag was already there with her. _Kinda spooky._

_"These ruins just go on forever….Look!"_ There weren’t very many, but the crumbling buildings spotted the landscape. _”And all these graves, too…”_

Climbing up to the top of the hill, Yag looked off into the distance.  _She’s right, but they do eventually reach a point….the entrance to the start of the journey…_  Yag looked back at Sen.  _{You ready to keep going? I’ll slow down a bit.}_  He remembered that he took part of her scarf, so she was going to be a little bit slower.

_"Yup."_ Together they entered the tunnel which would lead to the official start of their trip.   _"No jumping those bridges, ya hear?"_

Yag chuckled a bit to himself.  _{Of course.}_  They headed down the tunnel and were welcomed by the sight of the broken bridge. The cloth down below flapped in the windy valley, and Yag looked around for a good place to land.

As they plopped down on the sand, Sen began to activate as many inanimate cloths as she could, sliding from one to the other.   _"My favorite thing to do here is fly around with the little carpets boosting me in the air!"_  she called to Yag, who was following. _Haven’t been here for a while….it feels weird._ As the last piece of the bridge formed, Sen jigged in place.  _”Race you to the statue!”_

Yag got down low to the ground and wiggled his butt around before leaping off towards the first section of the bridge. He sprinted up the cloth neck and neck with Sen, and they both reached the statue at the same time.

Sen slowed down and took a deep breath before sitting down to meditate, steeling herself.  ” _Obviously we’re going to have different encounters with our ancestors.  Good luck, Yag.  Hope it goes well.”_ She hoped inwardly that her own meeting would go smoothly.

Yag nodded back at Sen and meditated next to her. His stomach churned at the thought of his encounter. The last time he met with his ancestor, he had been just entering the tower, and his ancestor acted like this was the moment he had been waiting for his whole time in…wherever it was he lived. Having left the Tower and deciding to make a journey that goes beyond the Tower, Yag knew that his ancestor would not be pleased.

 --

Yag opened his eyes to see his ancestor standing before him in a brightly lit realm. The golden marks on his robe shone brightly and covered his whole robe. Yag bowed down gracefully. 

_{Good to see you again, Tepeyollotyl.}_  He hoped his ancestor would not be angry.

  _ **{{And to you as well, Yaguareté.}}**  It has been too long since we spoke…_ Yag kept his thoughts quiet. Without speaking another word, Tepeyollotyl chimed out loudly and sent Yag into a vision. He hadn’t done this the last time they spoke, but merely told him why he should continue onward.

Yag saw an etching in a wall that appeared to be incredibly old. The colors were faded and some of the details were hard to make out. Ever so slowly, the color came back to them and they stood out vibrantly. Yag took a small step closer. The images began to move, and he could see what looked like a large community of wayfarers in white robes walking through the desert. The leader of them appeared to be a taller white robe with a spotted cloak. Looking harder at it, Yag realized it was Tepeyollotyl.  _He led our people in the past??_  The little tribe wandered until it came to a large city wall and stopped. The image began to fade. 

_{Wait!!! What happens??}_  Yag cried out in the hopes his ancestor would hear him, but it was simply a wasted effort. Everything faded away and Yag opened his real eyes. He looked to the side and saw Sen beginning to wake herself. He hoped he didn’t seem too shaken up.

 --

Sen arrived in the familiar white space and looked around anxiously before settling on the spectral white figure in front of her.  The ancestor was silent for a long time, looking steadily back at her.   ** _"Hello, little one,"_** the ancestor finally spoke.  ** _"It’s been a long time.  Do you remember me?"_**

_"Of course,"_  Sen answered respectfully.  Abandoning all pretense of being aloof, she bowed her head.  _”Elder…I am sorry I haven’t been to see you recently.  A terrible thing happened last time I traveled.”_

_**"I know.  I am terribly sorry.  Fortune was not on your friend’s side that day.  Know that she is with us now.  I wish you luck on this journey, Sendoa.  Goodbye,"**_  the ancestor called, sending Sen to the world of wakefulness.  Looking to the side, she saw Yag was already awake.


	3. The Scarf

Yag shook his head a bit to clear his mind.  _{We should get going.}_  They stood up and began to head off into the Pink Desert, a place Yag remembered fondly when on his first journey. He recalled learning to leap from dune to dune, and finding shelter in the lone tower near the two larger towers at night. Yag kept pace with Sen as they went through the tunnel to the other side.

The sunlight made Sen wince a little, but she kept up with Yag.  Both were silent, obviously with their own thoughts.  That is, until they reached the first containment chamber for the cloth creature.  Sen activated it, and her heart filled with joy, remembering her little cloth friend that had traveled with her after the events in the Snow.  

They jumped down and began to follow the creature.  Sen knew it wouldn’t fly too far ahead of them, so she attempted to make conversation.

_”So….how did the meeting with your ancestor go?  Hopefully not too bad.”_  She hoped she wasn’t being too intrusive.  While she thought about for a better way she could’ve phrased that, she studied the silhouette of the flying cloth against the sky.   

Yag shrugged a little. He didn’t really have much to say. 

_{I saw…the beginning of the end for my people…}_ _H_ e turned his head away a bit. He knew it wouldn’t end well, the images he saw, because his ancestor was dead and had told her that the tower was his home due to him not reaching the mountain. Tepeyollotyl never went into details, though, so this was all new to Yag.

They both followed the cloth dolphin a ways until it came to the first dead Guardian body with the cloth coming out of it. Yag chimed to awaken the flying creatures and they carried them to the top of the dune.

_Yag’s experience was certainly different from mine,_ Sen mused.  She was glad that she and her ancestor were on friendly terms.  Well, as far as she knew.  At least hers didn’t show her the ending of the civilization  _this_  early on!   _So what’s the deal with Yag?_ She decided to keep this to herself.  It was probably in her best interest not to pry.  They continued walking, though their direction was drifting to the left, where the small tower was.  She wasn’t sure if this was intentional, but nonetheless she wanted to visit the place, which had its own charm.

Yag noticed his path taking them to the tower he stayed at on his previous and unfinished journey, but he didn’t change his course. The sun was only beginning to get low in the sky, but he had a feeling that Sen would want to explore a bit more, and there wasn’t going to be enough light out in a few hours for that. The sun was always very quick to set.

Time passed quickly as Sen studied the tower.  Memories of her and Mari playing with the cloth dolphins here flashed through her mind.   _Shit_.   _Why did I stop here again?_  It was only after she realized Yag was still standing behind her waiting, that she saw how late it was.  

_"Oh my.  Usually I make better time than this.  I don’t travel in the dark, but…I suppose you can.  Should we keep going?"  I’d really rather not stay here…_  she thought.

Yag took a few steps towards the tower.  _{We can leave soon, I just want a few minutes.}_  He bounded over to the tower and looked over it with a careful eye. He had a hunch and was determined to find out if he was right about it. Very naturally agile, Yag had no trouble scaling the tower’s walls.  _That was almost too easy…_  He inspected all the crevices and cracks he could, but wasn’t coming up with anything.

Disappointed, Yag landed on the ground again and almost headed off when out of the corner of his eye he spotted a very worn symbol on the stone exterior of the tower. He walked over to it and looked very closely, trying to make it out. In a matter of seconds, he realized that it was the symbol of his people: the paw print. It also happened to be the symbol he chimed. Continuing on with his hunch, Yag let out a small chirp. Nothing happened. Yag didn’t really want to draw attention to himself, but he let out a bigger one. Still, nothing happened.

At his wits end, he gave in and released his loudest chime. The symbol sunk into the wall ever so slightly, and a burst of air poofed around a section of the wall. Unsure of what to do now, Yag called for Sen.  _{Hey Sen, could you come here? I need your help!}_

Yag’s loud chime and call for assistance snapped Sen out of her reverie. _What’s going on?_

_"Sure, coming!"_ Sen flapped her cloak and glided over to where Yag was standing.  He seemed to be staring hard at the wall.  Sen got closer and saw the strange marking engraved in the stone.   _Hey that’s…._

_“That’s your symbol, isn’t it?  The one you chirp?  What’s it doing here?  I’ve never seen it before.”_

Yag shrugged.  _{I’ve never seen it anywhere else but in the Tow-}_  he cut himself off.  _But of course. My ease maneuvering the towers, and then this symbol… my people built this tower and lived here…_  Yag felt around the edge of the door with his cloth-hands and pushed down. The door fell down into a hole below and revealed a dark niche that extended into the wall a short ways.

Reaching in, Yag felt around until he made contact with a piece of incredibly worn cloth and a small tablet. Pulling both out, he noticed the tablet had a small amount of writing on it. Yag read it aloud. 

_"In his dying wish, Tepeyollotyl asked for his scarf to be returned to his true home where it may rest in peace. If you come upon the scarf, it will become a part of you and grant you a moon’s worth of energy, as well as a scarf that shall never tear. But be warned, for where there is power to be given, there will be power to be taken away. I hope you use it well, traveler."_

Yag placed the scarf down on the ground.  _{T-this belonged to my ancestor….}_ He looked down at the worn threads and thought for a moment. He then picked up the scarf and handed it to Sen.  _{I want you to have it. I took away part of your scarf, right? Allow me to repay you for the damage. Plus, I really don’t want to accept a gift from my ancestor.}_

_"Thank you…but, are you sure?  I don’t I should be accepting gifts from this…Tepeyollotyl.  He sounds important, being YOUR ancestor and all that,"_ Sen held the cloth delicately.   _Besides, what will my own ancestor think?  I don’t think she’ll be mad.  Right?_ _But it was a gift given in good faith….  ”Well, okay.  Thank you, Yag.”_

She held the cloth to her tattered scarf and watched as it mended itself, the ancient being’s energy restoring the life in it.As it ended, Sen noted the increased length of her scarf. _”Oh wow. It feels like I could fly for days.  It’s longer, too!  But not much.  I guess that’s only fair.”_ Nonetheless, Sen was overjoyed.   _Thanks, Tepeyollotyl!  You’re awesome._

Yag sighed in relief, seeing as he had made the incident up to Sen, and he wouldn't have to deal with the scarf. As the two wayfarers began to make their way back towards the mountain, the stone door slid shut, and the symbol on it faded away entirely.

As they continued climbing the dunes, Sen couldn’t stop turning back to stare at the new scarf.  She was unused to the extra weight.  She tested it out and glided forward a bit, then turned back to look. Not as much energy was used up as it used to, and she didn’t need to flap her cloak as powerfully.   _Interesting.  Other than that it looks normal!_

They reached the highest dune. The cloth dolphins hovered and chirped for them to follow but for now Sen enjoyed the warmth on her cloak.   _This’ll be the last time I’m in the sun for a while, after all._ Her previously happy attitude was dissolving quickly. She looked down at the foreboding factory below, then back at Yag.

_“I guess we better go down there…”_

Yag nodded and the two of them slid down the hill. He had a feeling that this too was another one of the towers his people made, but he didn't figure that there would be a symbol on these ones like the last one. The sun had already set a ways and the sky behind them was dark. The stars were beginning to twinkle above them as they ascended the tower, and when they reached the top, the night had completely overcome them.

The two of them approached the ancestor stone, and lit up the graves around it.  _{You ready to meet your ancestor again?}_

She sighed, a little apprehensive.  Okay, a lot apprehensive.  What would her ancestor think about the scarf?   _"Yep."_

 --

Once again she was in that white expanse.  She kept her eyes on the ground and bowed respectfully.   _"Elder."_

**_"Welcome, child."_ ** _Her ancestor chimed.  The spirit tilted her head to look at Sen’s gift-scarf._ **_"Hm?  That is…."_ **

Sen glanced at the scarf as if she had just noticed it was there. _”Oh, this?  It was a gift from Yag.  The one I’m travelling with.  It was his ancestor’s, and he gave it to me to replace the scarf that he—”_

**_"Where did he find it? Who is his ancestor?"_** The Elder’s voice rang out sharply, cutting Sen’s dialogue off to an abrupt halt. 

_"I…um…it was in a tower in the desert.  With my friend’s symbol on it.  A unique one.  Four dots on top."_ Her ancestor narrowed her eyes very slightly.

_"And…I think it said his name was Tepetiil or Tepe…something….Tepeyollotyl!  That’s it,"_  Sen laughed nervously.  The Elder’s face was stony, unchanging, and Sen tried to shrink into her cloak.  

_After a long, unnerving silence, the Elder spoke._ ** _"The most unfortunate things always seem to happen to you, Sendoa."_** _What?  ”What do you mean?”_

**_"Your friend Yag is waking up.  Go join him.  I will speak with you soon.  My blessing goes with you, but be careful, little one."_ **

_Well….at least she gave me her blessing.  I wonder why she was acting so strange, though._

 --

Yag sat down and began to meditate. He opened his eyes and saw Tepeyollotyl in front of him once more, so he stood, uneasily.

_{Hello again, ancestor.}_  he said a bit angrily. Tepeyollotyl leaned down to examine Yag a bit more, and the seemingly insignificant wayfarer shrunk down a bit in begrudging respect and fear. 

**_{It is my understanding that you gave the scarf to your friend.}_**  Yag nodded. Tepeyollotyl leaned back again but spoke no more. He merely chimed out and Yag’s vision went to white.  _Old sour puss never likes to explain himself…_

Greeted by the sight of a wall with glyphs on it, Yag walked over to the wall and watched the symbols on it begin to move. There were etchings of his people living in the city with other wayfarers of different races, and they seemed to be trading and building for these other wayfarers. Above all the other wayfarers were a group of ancestors, and among them as Tepeyollotyl.

Yag viewed this as a rather weak learning experience, but he accepted the knowledge that his people were working for someone in exchange for a reliable source of food. As the images faded away, he found himself waking up. He shook his head a little and stood up, watching as Sen stood up next to him.  _{Well, I don’t know about you, but I’m sure ready to move on.}_

_"Ugh, yeah, me too,"_   Sen agreed.  


	4. It's Time You Knew

They watched as the main gate below them opened and the cloth creatures were released, singing their thanks.  As they accepted the rides from the dolphins and soared away, Sen could not help feeling a twinge of apprehension.  She tried to chase it away.   _I’m sure it’s nothing._

Yag slid down the hill on all fours, enjoying the feeling of the sand rushing over his robe. He leapt in the air and twirled around happily, looking over to make sure he didn’t get too far from Sen. They did their tricks as they slid down the sandy slide and wound up in the rest area between the first sections of sandy hill. The moon had come out fully, bathing the two wayfarers in crisp moonlight. Yag stood back up on his legs.  _{Do you think that this will be a good place for us to stop for the night?}_

_"I didn’t even realize how late it was getting!  I was just in a hurry to go and then I got caught up with doing tricks.  I suppose we should get some rest,"_ Sen admitted.

There was a sheltered spot near the far edge, a little alcove.  Sen flew up to it with ease but accidentally lit up the mural inside it.  She turned away from it  and sat, commenting to Yag as he approached,   _"I really don’t want to see that before I go to sleep…you can look at it, though."_  Before she knew it, she had drifted off.

Yag nodded and chirped softly in amusement at how quickly Sen fell asleep. He turned to look at the mural. It showed Sen’s people living together happily.  _How odd, that my people don’t show up._  He quickly bored of the glyph and curled up next to Sen, falling asleep.

His dreams were not filled with peace.

Yag found himself lying down in a pitch black void. He looked up and around and saw nothing but more nothing. Cautiously, he called out,  _{H-hello??}_  A sudden crashing noise rang out and Yag hurriedly covered his ears.  _{AAAGGHHH!!}_  When he looked up again, he saw a pair of dark red eyes in front of him, and blood oozed out of them. A mouth in similar condition opened below them.

**YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGG**

**  
**Yag, absolutely terrified, turned tail and ran as fast as he could. When he looked

back, he saw he was no further from the face than when he first stared running.  _{AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!}_  Yag began to cry out, completely horrified and unable to get away. His eyes opened wide and he roared at the face with all his might. The face shot at him without warning and in that moment Yag shot upright next to Sen and roared again before diving off the alcove and burying himself in sand has quickly as he could. Yag continued to hide there, shaking violently in the sand.

_Come back, little scarf!_ Sen swatted at the tiny piece of cloth, always out of reach.  In her dream, the sky was blue with fluffy clouds.  The sand was pale pink and went on for miles.  No objective, no worries, no ancestor to nag her…

A deep throated roar shocked Sen out of her reverie and she shot up to her feet.   _A Guardian?  Can’t be.  It sure didn’t sound like one!_

She looked quickly around for Yag and saw he wasn’t there.  She began to chirp quietly, then louder and louder as panic set it.   _I knew something was wrong!  What am I going to do now?!_ Frantically she shook herself around to become more awake.

A familiar voice, that of her ancestor’s, echoed in her head.  She froze.  This must be important, for her to use her thoughts like this to communicate.  It almost never happened.

**_Be careful._ **

_What?  Careful of WHAT?  Dammit, Elder, I’ve had a REALLY long day!  I just want to worry about finding my friend right now._

Sen flew down from the alcove, landed lightly in the sand, and began to look for Yag.  A quick glance around the area showed that he wasn’t in plain sight, which heightened her rising fear.   She noticed the fliers weren’t released, so he probably was still in the area.   _Unless he jumped!  Oh, ancestors…._

She was pacing back and forth when she noticed a lump in the sand that was moving.  Shivering.  Out the back of it she could see the tip of Yag’s scarf.  

Immensely relieved but also a little worried,  she cautiously approached the mound of sand and sat quietly down next to it.  She spoke softly.  _"There you are.  It’s me, Sen.  It’s okay.  Whatever it was, it was just a dream."_

Yag felt himself slowly being overtaken by whatever it was took over him last. But this time he was fighting it. He lifted himself out of the sand and fought back against the monster inside him. His eyes flickered, but they did not go out. Yag roared angrily.  _ **{YOU CAN’T TAKE ME**_ _ **AGAIN!!!}**_

Collapsing in the sand, Yag slipped into a deep, dreamless slumber. His body nearly tore itself apart at the exchange, and it needed to recover.

_I’m sorry Sen…._

Sen was frightened and utterly confused.  She kept a safe distance back from her tortured friend.  When it was clear he was not moving, Sen went and stood next to him.  She carefully poked his side with a foot, but got no response.  Still cautious, she bent down and tilted her head to hear his slow breathing, to confirm he was asleep.  He looked awful and clearly wasn’t going to wake up anytime soon.   _Well, Elder, I’ll be careful, but I’m not leaving him alone like this,_ Sen thought resolutely.  She sat back down and after a long time, went back to sleep.

Yag's dream was utterly empty. His mind went blank until he roused in the morning. Sen appeared to still be asleep, so he shuffled off to look around. Flying up to the ledge and then to one of the pillars, Yag sat down and meditated with his eyes open.  _I wonder if this is your doing....Ancestor...._

The chirping of a cloth dolphin woke Sen.  She blinked and saw Yag was gone, but she was not unduly worried this time.  The sun was just beginning to rise, warming her cloak.  She took a look around and saw her friend sitting on one of the pillars, presumably meditating.  Relieved that he was at least still in the area, she quickly released the fliers and used them to boost herself up to Yag was.   _"I’m sorry if I ruined your meditation.  Are you okay now?"_

Yag’s meditation was broken when he heard Sen speak, but he wasn’t upset. He simply sighed and opened his eyes.  _{I’m feeling better now…thanks…}_  He lowered his head, upset with how he acted last night.  _{I’m sorry you had to see how I acted last night…..it was just a bad dream, that’s all.}_  He hoped Sen would leave it at that.

Sen turned her head to the side.  _”Hmm.  Some bad dream.”_    She sat down next to him.    _”I’m ready to go whenever you are.”_ She didn’t want to rush just in case he needed time to think about what happened.  Plus, she needed to think a little too.  The apprehensive feeling Sen had previously felt, along with her ancestor’s warning, was not reassuring.  _But I’m not going to duck out after all of this.  I can’t just leave with his ancestor’s scarf.  I have to know what’s going on, and I don’t think it’s about me.  All in good time, I suppose…_ She focused on the rising sun and how it bathed the mountain in light.

Yag appreciated Sen’s care.  _{I’m ready to continue on.}_  He stood up and waited for her to stand up with him before leaping off the column and down into the valley below. They slid around the hills once more, doing tricks and enjoying the wind. When they reached the bottom of the hill, it was time to meet with their ancestors again. Yag sighed, not excited for this next meeting.

 --

When Sen dreamed of her ancestor, the spirit was angry.  Her face was twisted with wrath and Sen crouched in fear as the spirit leaned towards her.

_**"I warned you, Sendoa.  I told you to be careful.  But no.  You ignored me!"**_ her spectral voice boomed louder than it had ever before, heavy with anger.

_"Elder, I had to see to my friend,"_  Sen tried to explain.  Her voice cracked.  She bowed, something she hadn’t done since her first journey, when they first met. _”I’m sorry.”_ Her ancestor straightened back up.  Sen flinched, expecting another outburst, but it never came.  A heavy fabric draped over her, and she realized her ancestor had wrapped her in an embrace.  She felt immensely relieved and extremely surprised.  Her earlier fear, once so strong, had dissolved.

**_"I am sorry, too, little one.  I was angry because I was afraid for you.  You have spent a long time looking out for others, as I did when I lived.  But once in a while, look to yourself.  You’ll need to.  Will YOU forgive ME?"_ **

_"Of course," Sen said determinedly._

 --

Yag closed his eyes and when he opened them again, Tepeyollotyl stood there in front of him. Yag bowed only slightly. 

**_{{You do not know why I choose my_** **actions.}}**  Yag scoffed a little.  _{A little blunt for you, wouldn't you say?}_  He felt he could afford to be a bit snarky, seeing as he felt what was going on with him was caused by his ancestor. 

**_{{You have only one job, Yaguareté, to go back to the Tower, your home. You do not have to rule over an entire people in the face of_** **war.}}**  Tepeyollotyl's tone deepened and Yag moved his ears back, cowering slightly. His ancestor may be dead, but he was still powerful in other ways.

Tepeyollotyl dropped his head and slowly walked over to Yag. Instinctively, Yag took a few steps back, but his ancestor overtook him within moments. Standing behind him, Tepeyollotyl used his own body to move Yag forward. As they walked, Yag saw murals appearing next to them. He recognized members of his tribe running the same direction they were going, and he watched them leap from mural to mural. Dark-robed wayfarers converged on the scene, and Yag watched as the two tribes tore each other apart. It was difficult for him to watch.

The two of them stopped at the end of the line of murals. Turning around, Yag looked up at his ancestor.  _{...where were you in all this?}_  Tepeyollotyl's eyes dimmed a bit, and he looked away. He then slowly began to fade.  _{No...no, no!!! I have to know!!!}_  Unable to move, Yag jerked himself out of his meditation. Tears began to stream down his face, but he held them back, not wanting Sen to see.

 --

Sen sat there for a moment.  She had a feeling that Yag’s dream didn’t go well, and from the corner of her eye, she could tell he was trying not to cry.   _Poor Yag._ Something was very wrong indeed.  She was learning from the events during their time together when to keep her mouth shut, — an event that happened frequently now — no matter how hard she wanted to talk.  So what had changed?  Was she doing something to upset Yag and his ancestor during his dreams?  _Sen, you’ve really outdone yourself._ She blinked.  _I really hope I’m not the cause of his grief.  Shouldn’t have taken that scarf!_

Yag shook his head a bit and rubbed his eyes.  _God, I’m such a sad sack._  He really didn’t want to look so mopey, so he turned to Sen.  _{Let’s move on. Things will get better.}_  He stood up, but didn’t walk forward. Instead, Yag looked down at his feet.  _{….you know Sen, I don’t want you to think we can’t talk. A lot of weird stuff has been going on, and I don’t want us to be keeping secrets from each other.}_  After that, he slowly began to walk to the Underground, dragging his feet a bit and keeping his head down.

Sen followed slowly.  She thought about telling Yag about her ancestor’s warning.  Instead, she asked,  _“Who is Tepeyollotyl?  Or….who was he?  I know he’s your ancestor, but…”_

Yag slowed down so they could walk together.  _{Well…Tepeyollotyl was the ruler of my people way back when. And as far as I can tell, he did nothing to stop them from martyring themselves in the war. At least, he won’t tell me…..}_  Yag felt the tears starting to well up again. The thought of him being so alone because his ancestor couldn’t protect them made him so angry.

Sen tilted her head.   _"What war?  Was it the same one as my ancestor’s?  Giant white robed guys who fought a civil war over resources and killed each other using terrible machines?  My ancestor was one who fought and was one of the last to die.  Apparently that’s why I’m so headstrong.  Or so I’ve been told.  I’ve gone through the history so many times the images are seared into my being.  But you are obviously different.  I’ve been wanting to ask why but I’ve been trying not to be so blatantly rude anymore.”_ _Especially since I could wake that thing up again.  Yeah, not gonna forget about that for a while…._

Yag listened patiently.  _{It was the same war. My people fought in it, though they sort of looked like the front runners……more like sacrificed…that’s what hurts. Tepeyollotyl hasn’t told me much about him, but I do know that when the ancestors fled, he did not survive, but now I know why the erected the Tower in his memory…because he lost all of his people….}_

_"That’s…wow…My ancestor never told me about that.  I’m sorry."_ Sen paused.She really wasn’t sure what else to say.  By now they were in the Underground and the temperature had dropped.  The blue sand still felt alien to her after four trips through it.   _"I should tell you that my ancestor told me to be careful last night, right after your nightmare happened.  It wasn’t even during meditation, she just spoke to me, in my head!  I don’t want to alarm you, because you said it was just a dream — and I believe you —, I just don’t think she would do that for nothing, you know?"_

Yag bit his lip.  _Her ancestor could tell…_  Yag nodded.  _{Yeah, I understand.}_ Yag was accustomed to the Underground, as it was one of the areas he would wander into on occasion to get away from the Tower. The chilled sand was nice on his feet, since the hot sand got to him after a while. They wandered deep into the tunnels and found themselves near the war machines, a sign they were getting near to the Tower.


	5. Tepeyollotyl's Holy Ground

Sen stuck close to her friend as they moved through the Underground.  Quietly she spoke.   _"So, you got any experience with these war machines? I don’t really know much about them, just their original use and that I should get out of their way."_ She chuckled.

Yag chuckled. _{Well, they aren’t any more fond of me than any other wayfarer, but I’ve actually been able to outmaneuver one that saw me. Don’t want to have to do it again though. It was a close call.}_ Yag and Sen clung to the sides of the tunnel and made their way carefully and quietly around the machines. One threw its beam directly over their heads but fortunately didn’t lower it and see them.

They arrived at the end of the tunnel before the downhill slide to the platform where they would once again meet with their ancestors. Yag was hesitant to meet with Tepeyollotyl again, but he didn’t have much choice. _{You ready to slide down?}_

_"Yeah."_  They leapt off the edge together.  Using Tepeyollotyl’s scarf, Sen pushed a little faster out of fear of the Guardians. Both patrolling entities spotted them and zoomed after them, but as always, the spirit of their ancestors blocked them.

_"Yeesh,"_ Sen panted, tripping over her scarf.  She shook the sand off, made sure Yag was behind her, and walked towards the statue.  She didn’t notice her legs were shaking until she sat down.  

 

She appeared next to her ancestor in the white void.  Sen looked expectantly up at her mentor.  The spirit continued to stare upwards and Sen began to grow worried.   _"Elder…"_

The ancestor turned and looked at Sen with a sad look in her eyes.  She blinked, and suddenly her look was of determination.   **"Go."** Sen nodded once.  

She woke up feeling refreshed, her earlier fear transforming into energy.  She stood quietly, waiting for Yag to wake.

 --

Yag sat down next to Sen and closed his eyes. A sick feeling grew in his stomach as Tepeyollotyl materialized in front of him. Walking up to him Yag spat, _{So what was that all about, huh? Why were our people fighting? And where we’re you??}_ Tepeyollotyl looked away from him and started to walk off somewhere. Seeing red, Yag leapt at him. _{YOU COWARD!! Tell me what happened!!!}_

In a flash, Tepeyollotyl spun around and knocked Yag back, his teeth bared and his stance wide. The energy of his ancestor emanated so strongly that Yag cowered where he had fallen. He forgot just how strong Tepeyollotyl was.

**_{{You fool. You think I did NOTHING to save my people?? You think I just sat back and watched as my family was killed?? OF COURSE I TRIED TO HELP THEM! I worked hard to find a way to win the war! My efforts to be able to flip the switch on our ferality were wondrous, but in the end I couldn’t make them stronger! And you know what I had to do??}}_ **

Tepeyollotyl rushed to Yag and towered over him, ears back and growling. ** _{{I was forced to leave them. The other leaders all left once the fight could not be won. We all did.}}_**

Roaring in Yag’s face, Tepeyollotyl dissipated, transporting Yag to another glyph wall. This one showed the ancestors all running out on the fighting, escaping behind buildings and sneaking out to the desert. Tears were already streaming down Yag’s face from when his ancestor dominated him, and seeing his people dead and shredded to bits on the field of war as his ancestor fled was too much for him. He got up and started running, running as fast as he could on his all fours. _No…….it can’t be!!!!_ He didn’t want to believe that his ancestor could just leave them, or hell, even do something like “flip the switch” on their ferality.

Tepeyollotyl materialized in front of Yag and he came to a screeching halt. Unable to speak, Yag simply whimpered back tears. He could sense an overwhelming feeling of regret and sadness coming off of his ancestor in huge waves.

**_{{You may upset with me, Yaguareté, but at least you don’t have to spend all of eternity wallowing in the consequences of your own sins. Now go. I hope we do not have to meet again in the Tower, for I would hope you might stay there this time.}}_ **

Yag woke up from the meditation, the tears drying on his face. Unemotionally, he stood up and looked at Sen. _{Are you ready to go?}_

 --

Sen kept her gaze on the ground as the pair headed into the Tower.  She no longer tried to hide the fact that she was worried, and she could sense Yag both tensing and relaxing as they entered the large chamber.

She took a deep breath as a draft of cool air hit her.  The sight of the giant structure made Sen’s neck hurt from looking at it.  It was a while before she spoke, knowing Yag wouldn’t move.  

_"….Mari and I played here for a long time, the last time we were here.  It’s a wonder you didn’t notice us.  Or maybe you did, I don’t know."_ Then she cast her eyes down, not wanting to expand on the subject and desperately trying to change it.   _"The whale is my favorite part of this Tower.  We should go visit it,"_ she suggested.  But for some reason, her heart was heavy, and she sighed.  

Yag stayed silent as they headed to the first platform and glyph wall. He faintly remembered the memory Sen brough up, but seeing as he’d seen a lot of wayfarers pass through the tower, it was only a vague memory. Chiming together, Sen and Yag floated as the goo began to rise. Yag didn’t look at Sen. He didn’t want her to see the deadness in his eyes, the utter defeat he felt at his ancestor’s sheer power.

His ancestor…..he didn’t even know what to think.

On one hand, he sympathized. It was hard enough to watch the glyphs of his people being annihilated, and he could barely stomach the idea of watching it first-hand, let alone by his own doing. But on the other hand, Tepeyollotyl abandoned his people when they needed him most, and what’s more, now he was messing with Yag on an entirely new level. _What do you want from me??? You know I’m not going to stay in the Tower forever! So what? What will you do to me then??_

The two climbed the tower until they reached the whale room. Sen appeared to brighten up when she saw the whale floating around the ceiling, but Yag couldn’t feel happy. Instead, he sat down in front of the glyph and closed his eyes. He felt a lump forming in the back of his throat, and the more he tried to push it down, the more he felt it coming up. Beginning to shake, Yag quickly stood up and leapt behind one of the large carpets hanging from around the edge of the room, desperate to hide. Cowering in a corner, he grabbed his head with his robe hands and shut his eyes tightly, tears beginning to stream out of his eyes.

_What is happening to me??_

Sen stood quietly in place and slumped.  She heard Yag dive behind one of the carpets and she assumed he was crying. _I’ll give him some space…_

She gazed around the room and finally settled on the glyph.  She stared at it but didn’t really see anything.  After a while, she turned slowly and headed toward Yag.  She crept up to him but made sure her presence was known before speaking softly.

_"Yag… are you okay?  We can leave, if you want.  I’m sure there’s other fun stuff we can do to take your mind off things."_

Yag’s emotions got the better of him and he jumped up and leapt at Sen, hugging her tightly as he cried. He didn’t really mean to get so huggy all of a sudden, but the feeling of being near his friend made him feel better and not so alone. He quickly backed off and blushed a bit, embarrassed for the sudden assault. _{S-sorry about that….}_ he snivled a bit.

_ {I….I just don’t know what to think about anything anymore…. I mean, how could my ancestor just leave behind his people like that? I know he died later, or otherwise the Tower wouldn’t be his….} _ A thought popped into Yag’s head. _{Hey, would you like to see where I used to stay in here? It’s quite a climb and I’ll have to help you since it was made for only me, but we could do it.}_

Sen knew any further discussion of his people would not be a good idea.  Instead, she wriggled about in excitement.   _"Yeah, of course I want to go see it!  Are you kidding?  I’ve always wanted to fully explore this place but the endless flying usually wins me over and I forget what I was doing,"_ she laughed.  Humor usually helped her companions out when they were down.  It also distracted her from her own thoughts.

_"Hmm….but it is quite a climb, like you said,"_ she mused. _”Oh!  Maybe your ancestor’s scarf will help me a little.  You’ll have to lead the way, though.”_  And so Sen started to inch backwards, allowing Yag room to pass through the large carpet and back into the whale’s chamber.

Yag wiped his eyes and shook himself out a bit. They bade the whale farewell for a spell before heading out the room. Yag pointed up a ways. _{There’s a crack off in the wall up near the ceiling on the other side of the tower. You might just be able to jump your way up and across, but I’ll chirp periodically just to make sure}_ Leaping off the ledge to the tower itself, Yag landed on the wall of the tower and gripped into it, making his way up rather quickly. It _had_ been a while since he had last been here, and he was excited to see his home again. As they made their way up the tower, Yag briefly lost his footing before getting it again. _I’m getting rusty…it’s been a while since I really climbed anything…_ The two wayfarers arrived at the top of the tower, and the crack was much more visible. _{When you reach the crack, get your hands into the crack. Don’t try and grab around the edges, since chunks will break off.}_ He chirped loudly for her before getting into a run and leaping up towards one of the small shrines before kicking off and diving into the crack. He had practiced many times on the aim, but he knew Sen hadn’t been there before so he stuck his head out to catch her just in case.

Sen looked at the crack in doubt.   _Yeah, sure, this’ll be a snap.  Easy._

She crouched low, trying to imitate Yag and how he gathered strength before leaping.  As she leapt, she realized she was going to fall.  She just didn’t have the same leg power as he did.  Hurriedly she flapped her cloak to gain more height and Tepeyollotyl’s scarf chimed in, boosting her to the edge of Yag’s home.  Using the scarf’s power, she was able to control where she landed with a little more accuracy.  Yag reached forward in case she fell again but she hastily stuck her cloak hands into the crack and steadied herself using the walls.  

With a grunt, she hauled herself in, and promptly fell on her face.   _"Urrrgh…..I did it!"_ she mumbled into the dirt.  She got up and rearranged her cloak.   _"Hmm.  Okay, now show me around!"_  Sen exclaimed, smiling with her eyes.

Yag smiled and looked about his home. It was a rather large round room that was about 7 feet tall, so only the tallest of wayfarers would have difficulty standing upright if they were to be there. Two thirds of the room floor was covered in about a foot of sand, but on roughly a 6 square foot section of sand opposite the door was a thick blanket that covered the sand. _{That’s my bed. The best part about the sand is that it’s actually quite soft, and the blanket prevents me from getting sand in all the wrong places while I sleep.}_ Yag led her over to the left. A small shelf had a few jars resting on it. Inside were a bunch of tiny fliers floating about in a large group. _{I usually eat regular ones, but these are for healing wounds and, if necessary, emergency rations.}_

The other side of the room had some blankets stacked up. _{You can use some of these to sleep on. I usually use them for when it’s cold.}_ Pointing up to the ceiling, Yag chirped softly and additional lamps lit up. One was already lit when they had come into the room, which Yag likely forgot to turn off before leaving. With all the lamps lit up, the hole in the ceiling where the light came through could be seen and was obviously shaped to be like Yag’s symbol.

Yag walked over to the folded blankets and grabbed a few, unfolding them and laying them down gently on top of the sand. _{You can push the sand around under the blanket to change how it is underneath you so you can get comfortable.}_ After setting up the blankets, Yag yawned and plopped down on his bed. _{Sorry for not being a great host…it’s just been a long…..hell I don’t know how long we’ve been up. Anyway, I’ll see you whenever we get up. Just chirp loudly enough to turn off the lamps when you’re ready to fall asleep.}_ Curling up, Yag closed his eyes and immediately went to sleep. Being back in his home, Yag’s dreams were blissful and uninterrupted by nightmares.

It really had been a long day.  Sen didn’t blame Yag for falling asleep so quickly, and especially in his own home.  She carefully arranged the blankets, which were incredibly soft, she noted.  She sat on the pile and looked at the fliers that Yag kept in jars.   _Where’s my own home?_  Sen thought.   _Do I even have one?  That tower in the desert, I stay there a lot, but I don’t always stay there.  I don’t think I’m…meant to have a home.  I’m supposed to keep moving to get to that mountain, to see the Elder and Mari again._

She felt it best just to sleep, and chirped the lanterns off.  It took a while, but soon she fell asleep.


	6. The Time Draws Nigh

The light from above the tower woke Sen.  It was cold, so she thought about snuggling deeper into the blankets, but decided against it. _"Errrgh….wake up, Yag, we gotta go!"_

Yag grumbled, not wanting to wake up, but the light pouring in roused him enough. Stretching out, Yag rolled around in his bed like a cat enjoying the feel of his own bed. It had been such a long time since he woke up so comfortably in his own bed, and he didn’t want the feeling to end. The sunlight pouring in warmed his belly and the smell of his blanket comforted him to no end.

Feeling comfortably warm, Yag rose from his bed and folded up Sen’s blankets, stacking them neatly on the pile. Grabbing out a small handful of fliers, he took them and licked them off his robe hand, absorbing the energy. He hadn’t eaten in a while and needed the extra strength. Shaking his hand clean, Yag rubbed his head against Sen’s shoulder, a low grumbling purr of sorts escaping his mouth. 

_{Sorry, I just haven’t felt this good in a while, and I really love having you around. I get quite lonely in here, but now my friend knows my home!! Anyway, you about ready to leave?}_

She laughed and smacked his head with part of her cloak humorously. _”Well, I’m glad.  You’re not so bad yourself.  Let’s go!”_    

She stared one last time at the lanterns and the really soft blankets and the jars with the fliers in them, and leaped out the crack back onto the tower’s surface.  She skid a bit but stuck the landing.  Sen scowled as Yag landed perfectly beside her.  _”Show-off,”_ she grumbled good-naturedly.   _"Do you want to show me around a bit more or should we keep climbing this thing?_ "  Quickly she made a mental apology to Tepeyollotyl for calling his monument "this thing."

Yag looked at Sen.  _{There really isn’t anything else in here that you don’t normally see. I think we should just move forward.}_  Yag’s voice faltered with the last two words. He knew the next thing he would have to face was Tepeyollotyl and leaving the Tower. As they headed to the statue, Yag glanced back at the crack in the wall. He had no idea what would happen when he crossed through the summit, and if he would ever see his home again. As much as he wanted to continue and not be trapped here forever, Yag’s heart panged at the thought of leaving this place forever. As they approached the statue, they chimed together and watched the tower become surrounded by a glowing white light. Sen disappeared next to Yag and he looked down.

 --

**_{{Yag.}}_ **

Yag slowly looked up at his ancestor. Tepeyollotyl seemed defeated and fatigued. There were bags under his eyes and his robe seemed dull. 

**_{{Since it seems as though you have made the choice to leave the Tower, I want you to understand something.}}_**  It sounded as if Yag’s ancestor’s voice was shaking a bit, which took Yag off-guard. His next words confirmed that suspicious but also alarmed him deeply. 

**_{{I-if you leave the Tower……you can never come back.}}_**  Before Yag could speak, he chimed and Yag saw the glyph image of Tepeyollotyl running with the other ancestors away from battle. However, off to the side he noticed some war machines sent out before them, blocking their path up the mountain.

Yag’s eyes widened as he saw the other ancestors rush to the side leaving Tepeyollotyl in the way of the war machine’s ray, causing him to be hit by the machine, his scarf ripped off entirely. Then he saw the ancestors bring Tepeyollotyl over to the side and bury him in the snow, placing a marker where he laid before leaving. The image began to fade. Yag found himself alone in the white realm before watching it slowly turn black. Tepeyollotyl materialized in front of him, back turned. 

**_{{By leaving your sacred home, O Being of Thought and Soul, thou shalt return to thy true home by the way in which thy Ancestor reached the Heavenly Plain.}}_ **

**_{{….I’m sorry….Yaguareté…}}_ **

Yag was instantly warped back to the real world, eyes wide and mouth agape.  _What…..?_

 --

The Elder appeared next to Sen.  She was staring up at the image of the mountain, much like she did in previous journeys.   This time however, she did not have a reverent look in her eyes. The spirit was obviously in deep thought.  Sen stayed close, wondering what her ancestor would have to say.

The Elder sighed deeply and turned to look down at Sen.  Her cloak still glowed with heavenly light, but her dark blue eyes were tired and sad.  

**_"I have tried to encourage you and give you strength, child.  I hope you have gathered what I offered and will use it well."_ **

_"I will,"_  Sen promised.   _"Will I see you again?"_

The Elder seemed startled.   ** _"Of course.  Why would you ask—"_**

_"You and I both know why.  I’ve had this feeling since we met at the factory.  Something is going to happen and it’s not going to be good,"_  Sen interrupted.  _”I want to at least have some sort of reassurance that you’ll be there when it does happen.”_ A small sob escaped.

**_"I will always be there, Sen,"_**  the Elder soothed.   ** _"You and I are one, remember?"_**

Sen woke with tears in her eyes, and she stayed perfectly still, afraid to look around, waiting for the storm to break.

 --

Yag looked to the side at Sen and placed his robe hand on her. He was still in shock at what happened, but he tried not to think about it. He couldn’t take back what he did and could only move onward.  _{So you ready to move on?}_ She seemed to nod so Yag led them off to the outside. He had never actually been in the snow before, and he wasn’t anticipating the extreme cold. Sen had experience with it before, but Yag was new to the whole thing. His robe poofed up a bit as he attempted to keep himself warm. He wished he had a blanket with him. As they stepped a bit further into the wind, Yag looked up and saw freezing cloth dolphins flying overhead. A loud clash of metal rang out behind them, and Yag looked back to see the gates of his home locked behind him. _This is it….the final stretch._


	7. Full Circle

Sen’s heart beat faster even in the cold.  She kept very close to Yag so as to keep the ice at bay.  They both walked forward in the snow, with Sen taking the slight lead.  She could see Yag was uncertain and could tell he had never been in the snow before, by the way he picked up his feet and hopped with the cold.  They stopped periodically to warm up the frozen scarves and their bodies, then continued on.

_"It gets worse before it gets better - that’s what the Elder told me a while back,"_ Sen commented to Yag.   _"But don’t worry, there are places to shelter from the wind."_  Her ears were numb already.

A sudden roar caused them both to flinch.  Yag and Sen looked up to see a Guardian slam into a flock of cloth dolphins and watched as one plopped into the snow, lifeless.  Yag dove for the nearest rock and hid behind it, while Sen followed more slowly.   _"They won’t attack here; too many rocks,"_ she stuttered out.  Ice was beginning to form on her mask from the distant blasts of wind.   _"We should keep moving."_

Yag’s ears and feet were already frozen over, and he clinged to Sen as the ascended the mountain. He normally did not fear the Guardians so much, but seeing how mobile they were in the biting winds compared to him, it shook him to his very core.

They reached the windy valley and made their way through it slowly. The wind kept blowing Sen’s scarf back which tugged on her neck, but Yag did his best to hold onto it for her so she wouldn’t be choked by it. Once they made their way to the other side, they came across a small room which lit up when they chirped. Little scarf fliers surrounded them, and Yag took the time to warm up as best he could, not know when they would next get the chance to thaw.

_"Brrr….it really is cold,"_ Sen shivered.  Together they sat on the lamp, away from the snow, where it was warmest.  It was comfortable, but Sen knew they couldn’t stay there forever.   _I’d fall asleep if I could!_  

They continued over the bridge.  Sen went slowly, knowing there was danger near.   _"Careful, Yag….the Guardians will be patrolling nearby.  When I say run, you RUN with me and we’ll hide under those Guardian remains, got it?"_

She made sure she saw Yag nod, albeit weakly, and they hustled under the first structure.  Tepeyollotyl’s scarf made sure she was never out of charge, but for Yag’s sake, she deliberately went at his speed.  The spotlight zoomed over them just as they took cover.  Sen’s heart was beating quickly as she gave the signal to run again and they dove under the second structure.   _"Wait,"_ she ordered quietly, and they watched the Guardian swoop away.  

Sen took a deep breath.   _"Okay, it’s safe for now.  How are you doing?"_

Yag was about to speak when his vision started spinning. He staggered sideways and leaned against the inner shell of the Guardian. He felt something cold drip out of his eye, and wiping it away with his robe hand, saw it was blood.

_No…_

Yag looked at Sen, eyes wide. He could feel more tears of blood seeping out of his eyes. _{Sen, you need to run. You need to get far away from me, and now.}_ His body began to quiver violently and he slumped down into the snow. His vision was entirely unstable now and he couldn’t define shapes, just colors. The red blur which Yag knew to be Sen hadn’t moved yet. _{GO!!!!}_

She bolted, using her scarf to get more speed.  Her feet threw up clouds of snow and the wind catapulted her forward.   _Where?  Where?  GO WHERE?  There’s NOWHERE to hide.  Oh, ancestors…._

She knew she wouldn’t be able to outrun whatever was taking over Yag for very long.

 --

Yag screamed out in pain as he felt his bones burning inside of him. They began to surge with a hellish energy, one that coursed through his body and overtook him rapidly. He gasped for air, a cry piercing the freezing air as his eyes began to liquefy in their place. Grabbing at his eye sockets, Yag reached into his head accidentally and poked at the flesh inside, he shrieked. _{My eyes!!!!}_ His heart was racing, his vision gone, but suddenly replaced by a sort of thermal view of the world. While he couldn’t see much with it, he noticed a small red dot in the corner of his vision. _Sen…._

Yag’s thoughts were interrupted when he felt a ripping in his mouth. Moving his robe hands to the source of the pain, Yag could feel large sharp teeth forcing their way through his gums, forcing out the ones he already had. The roots ripped out and fell out with the teeth out onto the snow, blood dripping down out of his mouth and steaming in the cold air. Still staring off into the distance where Sen was, Yag felt his mind rapidly shutting down. _{Sen…..get away…from me…}_

A mere moment after Yag completely lost his consciousness, his mind flashed back on. He was aware. He was ready. But he could not control himself. _{{What….what is happening to me??}}_

**{SEN!!!!!}**

Yag shot up and stood on his all fours looking out into the snowy landscape. His thermal vision still the only thing allowing him to see, he spotted the small red dot way out in the distance. Without a thought he was sprinting towards her, teeth bared, a maniacal smile across his whole face, blood flying off his face in freezing droplets. **{YOU WILL BE MINE!!}**

Sen threw herself forward, running as fast as she could even though her limbs were numb.  She heard the voice of her nightmares and sobbed.  The scarf wasn’t doing much good now.  It was encased in ice.  Her face was frozen over and she could barely see.  The heavy breathing behind her increased in volume, and she had no other thoughts besides fleeing.

Yag rapidly approached his target, leaping up into the air and diving down onto her. Blood was still dripping out his mouth and eye sockets, staining Sen’s robe. **{I’M NOT MAKING THE SAME MISTAKE TWICE.}** Yag dragged his robe down her back, his robe points stiffened to be like knives, and shredding the back of her robe and the bottom of her hood.

The sharp sudden agony crippled Sen and she skid onto one knee and onto her stomach.  The snow billowed up into her face and she was momentarily blinded.  She rolled away as Yag stabbed down again and missed.   _"No!"_ she shrieked.Hurriedly she kicked out with one leg but hit nothing.  Her robe had a giant rip in it and blood was beginning to stain the snow.  She focused just on avoiding Yag’s attacks and trying to gain distance.  

Yag cackled in a sickeningly sadistic tone. He pounced on Sen and grabbed her before throwing her up into the air. **{YOU WERE THE PREY I LOST AND YET HAD ALL ALONG. THANK YOU FOR NEVER LEAVING ME.}** He grinned and leaned his head back, laughing loudly while priming his robe to impale her when she would fall on him.

_{{SEN!!!! Fly away if you can!!!!}}_ Yag shouted internally. He couldn’t reach the outside. He was trapped in his own head, and all he could do was watch himself kill his best friend.

Sen felt the wind ripping by her as she ascended into the air.  Yag had used his momentum to toss her while rolling, and was now on his back, waiting.  Sen could see his figure, prone in the snow.  

_He’s going to murder me when I fall back down,_ she realized.   _Like a sleeping Guardian._  Desperately she hovered in the air for a split second. _I can’t waste time.  I have to kill it before it kills me._  

"Sen," the Elder’s voice whispered.  "You know what this will do,"

_Yes, but there’s no other way.  I’m sorry.  I’m sorry, Yag._

Tepeyollotyl’s scarf released a burst of energy and she rocketed down, slamming her left foot into Yag’s chest.  She tried not to look at the demon’s face as the blow was struck.  He gave a howl of pain and struggled, teeth snapping at her leg, but Sen held firm, crouching, anchoring herself to the ground.  The tears were frozen on her face.  The cries were both the demon’s and Yag’s; she could hear them both.

_"I don’t know why this is happening, but please be at peace now,"_ Sen sobbed.   _"Yag, if you’re in there,"_ she struggled, trying to speak through Yag’s cries and thrashing, _“I’m sorry.  Please forgive me!”_   


	8. The Ancestors

Yag couldn’t speak. A burning sensation grew in his chest and he was overtaken with pain. He couldn’t move. He was simply frozen in place, Sen’s foot lodged in his chest. Blood began to seep into the snow below him, turning into a stream that coursed downhill in the snow. It steamed up but did not freeze, and slowly the blood turned black. Yag went limp and began to breathe again, gasping for air. He could feel the burning energy seeping out into the snow, and gradually he began to regain control of his body.

_{S-Sen….. I’m..I’m so sorry….}_ He moved his robe hand to her leg gently to let her know he was back to normal.

_"You’re back,"_ she took in a breath.   _"I’m sorry too.  There was no other way, that thing was going to kill me!"_

"I don’t know what to do now," she cried.   _"I don’t want another one of my friends to go.  I don’t want to go into the Mountain’s light without you.  But I caused this.  And I can’t turn it back!"_

 --

_She was with Mari back on the desert, kicking up sand and chasing the dolphins.  The sun warmed their cloaks and their naps were frequent._

_She was back with Yag in the same spot, finding the scarf, happily trudging up the same dunes she had traversed so many times before while Yag leaped from spot to spot playfully._

_They were on the sliding sands, throwing worries away as they did flips and competed to see who could get more height.  The cloth dolphins nudged them and gave them reassurance that they were going the right way.  It was nothing more than a trip to the familiar mountain, where comfort was waiting._

_The Underground was the least of their worries.  The Guardians seemed like a nuisance now._

Sen wished she could see the sun again.  She wanted reassurance.  

She wanted to comfort her dying friend, but no words came out.  Her sobs grew louder and she bowed her head to cry.

Yag’s breathing slowed and his pants for air were weaker and weaker. _{Sen….you did what you had to do… Tepeyollotyl told me I was fated to die here, exactly where he died…}_ He could feel his body growing numb, his thermal vision blurring, and the red glow of Sen’s robe next to him starting to fade. The blood seeping out of his wounds had turned red again and continued to flow out of him.

_{I want you to know…..that this…this journey….it was the most exciting thing I have ever experienced….and I want to thank you….for the journey…}_

Yag’s energy drained from him entirely and his robe went limp. His heartbeat slowed down to a lazy rhythm before giving up altogether.

_…..thank you…_

 --

Sen didn’t know what to do.  She dislodged her foot from his chest as his eyes dimmed forever.   _Bye._ She tried to brush off the snow that was beginning to pile on his brown robe, stained in various places.

A sudden echoing noise began to sound, and Sen turned to see the Elder standing beside her, at her normal size.  

**_"I will help you to bury your friend,"_** she said.

Sen was too filled with grief to agree, or even be surprised that her ancestor had come to the real world.  She turned and began to limp towards the cave nearby, her wounds beginning to pain. The Elder lifted Yag’s body and followed Sen. The wind did not affect the spirit.

_"Here,_ " Sen motioned to the grave marker. _”Next to this one.  He deserves to sleep with company.  Right?”_

The Elder said nothing and gently set Yag’s body face down.  Sen brushed snow off the spot and stood off to the side, waiting.  ”Can you dig a hole?” she asked.  Her voice cracked.

**_"Wait,"_** the Elder said, bowing low.  Carefully she tore a bit of Yag’s scarf from him.

_"What are you doing?!"_ Sen lurched forward, but her ancestor’s actions halted her.  The Elder laid the scarf carefully on the ground and began to construct a grave for Yag from the rock wall.  It was slightly shorter than the marker next to it, but similar in design.  At the top, the Elder engraved Yag’s symbol into it and stuck the stone in the ground.  When it was embedded, the Elder handed the scarf to Sen.

**_"Tie it to the grave,"_** the Elder said. _ **”It will stand for a long time.  This place is sheltered from the wind.”**_

_"How did you know Yag’s symbol?"_ Sen asked quietly, taking the scarf.  The Elder was silent as Sen tied the scarf to the stone.  

When she looked back, the Elder straightened her back and inclined her head slightly.   ** _"It is because I was familiar with Tepeyollotyl and his people.  Wait,"_** the Elder ordered as Sen began to protest. ** _”I could not give more warning, because I was unsure of what Tepeyollotyl was going to do.  I did not want to provoke him anymore.”_**

_"What do you mean?"_ Sen protested.

But the Elder was at work again.  She carefully carved a hole in the stone and delicately lifted Yag into the hole.   _ **”Is there anything you would like to say?”**_ the Elder asked gently.

_"I would like to be alone, please,"_  Sen said in a small voice.  She stared her ancestor in the eyes. The Elder backed away.   ** _"Of course."_**

_"Thank you,"_ Sen said, but the spirit had already disappeared.

Sen spent the next half hour covering Yag with rocks.  When she was done, she fell to her knees and stared into space. 

 --

Tepeyollotyl focused his energy down near Sendoa. His mind began to reel and he felt himself being pulled into his head, whipped around, and then landing behind her. His astral projection would last him long enough to do his best to make amends, or at least he hoped it would.

**_{{Sen….I want to apologize…for everything.}}_** The red robed wayfarer didn’t turn around. ** _{{I want you to know…why I did it. You see, Yaguareté was created by me. I used my own personal energy as well as the connection I had to the physical realm to make him a real being from my thoughts. He wasn’t to find my scarf, much less give it to you. But he did, unleashing my curse. The scarf had been hidden in a sacred place, and when the curse was freed, it affected the first person to touch it, which was Yag. And because he gave it to you, he unknowingly gave you the duty of fulfilling the curse.}}_** Tepeyollotyl lowered his head.

**_{{Originally, only one person was to find it, if it were found. They would be blessed with great strength and energy, but in the end it would be the death of them. Clearly this was not the case here.}}_ **

Tepeyollotyl slowly walked around Sen and stood behind the grave marker. She still did not look up to him. ** _{{Sen. It was not Yag’s time to die. Eventually he would have made his climb up the mountain, but he was never going to make it. For I never made the journey fully. And after spending his life in the Tower, he would have made the trek up to die as I died. But not only did he decide to attempt his journey to the summit, he had taken my scarf. He is not a pure being in the true sense of the word. He may have been a celestial being, but he was not of your race. They never would have let him be reborn. I wanted him to be able to come to heaven, but the only way was by dying where I died. That way I could fetch his soul and bring it back with me.}}_** Tepeyollotyl looked down at the grave, sensing Yag’s soul stirring.

His heart ached at the thought of Sen being left alone on the mountain, but he knew there was nothing he could do. ** _{{I want to give you a final word before I return to heaven with Yag. You were his deepest friend. And that scarf of yours…belongs to you fully now. I will disconnect myself from it, and you will never be bothered with my affairs again. It is still untearable, but the energy will return to normal after the month has passed since you found it. I will no longer be interacting with the physical realm. But don’t forget. That scarf is a part of Yag. Without it he would never have existed. Keep it close to you. Let it remind you of him.}}_**

Tepeyollotyl reached down into the grave, his robe arms passing through the rocks. When he brought them up again, he was holding Yag’s spirit, a glowing golden orb of light. Tepeyollotyl nodded to Sen. ** _{{May the Ancestors forever be watching over you.}}_** He began to glow brightly, fading into the white light. In a flash, his image disappeared and Sen was truly alone once again.


	9. Connection

In the shelter of the cave, all alone, Sen gave vent to her feelings.  Finally, she could cry.  Yag’s spirit wasn’t even with her anymore.   

_"What am I gonna do?"_  she sobbed to the grave markers.  Her voice grew spiteful.   _"What a stupid place to die, in the snow.  I’m so cold.  And I still have to get past the Guardians, alone, AGAIN."_

Instantly she regretted her words.  Yag had selflessly stuck with her and her attitude this entire time.  He could have easily gone on without her multiple times or left her to fall.  

_"I’m so, so, sorry.  I didn’t want this to happen, I didn’t mean for you to die."_  She knew she was speaking nonsense; Yag’s demonic side would have ripped her to shreds if she hadn’t done what she did.  

Exhausted from crying, Sen took a deep breath and finally stood.  Her limbs had fallen asleep and she stood waiting for the blood to begin circulating again.  She took a look at her wound at her back and winced.  At least the cold was numbing it.  

_"Before I go, I want to say thank you,"_  Sen spoke aloud. She wasn’t sure if he would be able to hear, but it made no difference _. “Thank you Tepeyollotyl, for what you did.  Thank you for letting me keep your scarf.  It means a lot to me.  I will forgive you, but I won’t forget what happened.  Now I am going to go see my ancestor and my friends in heaven before I start my life over again.”_

And so she turned away to continue the climb alone.

\--

Yag awoke with a soft heavy blanket resting on top of him. He rolled over and saw Tepeyollotyl a little ways off meditating. Pushing the blanket back, he got up and walked over to his ancestor before sitting down next to him to meditate. A long silence passed before Yag spoke. 

_{Well, what now? You have me back in heaven. Is your soul at peace?}_  He looked down and noticed Tepeyollotyl’s scarf was torn at the ends.  _{What happened to your scarf?}_  His ancestor did not stir but did answer.

  ** _{{I broke my connection to the physical world. Your friend Sendoa is no longer directly connected to me, but she still has a connection to you.}}_**  He opened his eyes and stood up, walking back towards Yag’s bed but not heading for it. A short ways off, he stopped and turned his head back, Yag turning his head to watch his ancestor. 

**_{{The best thing you can do now is meditate and focus your energy on your friend. She needs to feel you with her. Finish your journey, Yag. In spirit.}}_ **

\--

It was still bitterly cold.  Sen’s wounds and the added chill made her going painfully slow.  This part - hiding from the Guardians in the snow, alone - was familiar, very familiar indeed.  Sen limped to the first structure and hid.  When the spotlight and gutteral noises passed, she hobbled to the next, and the next.  

When she was out of reach of the Guardians, she stopped and panted for breath.  She looked up at the high rock walls around her and then at the narrow path before her.   _I hate this part,_  she thought.   _It gives me too much time to think._   She sadly watched two cloth dolphins pass slowly overhead.  

She was on autopilot for the next section, alternatively hiding behind rock structures and then walking to the next one between wind gusts.  She could barely see now and was colder than ever before.   _I haven’t reached the mountain with a companion before,_ she realized. _I have always thought of it as my private paradise but I wonder if it is possible to reach it together.  I guess I’ll never know now,_ she thought, her dark humor scaring her.

Her inner motivation quickly dissipating, she trudged through the snow and felt in horror as the wind tore her scarf away in bits.  _”Oh no…dammit, wind, that was all I had!”_   she shrieked.  The feral forces of nature stole away her words as she tumbled and threw herself forward.  Soon her entire scarf was gone and Sen had no will to live.  She fell to her knees, believing she could hear her lost friends’ voices.  They echoed in her ears as she lost consciousness.

\--

Yag’s mental prowess was nowhere near that of Tepeyollotyl’s, but he still attempted an astral projection of his own. He sat and focused hard on Sen. Sensing her life force fading, his sheer will to keep her alive burned inside of him and gave him the extra strength he needed to force out a projection. He felt himself lift out of his body, but not in his normal shape. Instead, he took the form of a golden glowing orb, his soul.

Feeling the freedom to pass through the planes, Yag shot down to Sen, dying in the snow. He watched the ancestors, already present, healing her scarf and lifting her out of the snow. He raced to get to her before she shot into the clouds, but alas Sen took off into the storm and the ancestors faded away. _Damnit!!!_  Changing directions instantaneously, he headed for the top of the clouds and passed over the top of them right as Sen popped out. Overjoyed to have reached her, Yag’s spirit projection spun around Sen, giving her happy energy, as he was happy to be with her, even though he wasn’t physically there.

\--

Sen felt pure exhilaration and happiness as she finally breached the clouds.  For a moment, everything was at peace.  She zoomed forward, reveling in her new speed, and was met by a golden orb.  It flew along with her, and suddenly all her worries were gone.  She was no longer cold, the cloth creatures were singing, and finally Sen could be carefree.  She chirped as loud as she could and called all the nearby fliers, and they boosted her up through the waterfall.  The star followed her as the jellyfish cooed her on.  

The whale lifted her up to the final gate.  Sen bid it farewell, and it called in reply.  The star hovered by her, waiting for her to fly past the final gate.

_"Hello, Yag,"_  she turned and smiled.   _"I knew I would see you in heaven, but you have no idea how happy I am to finally have someone go to the summit with me."_

The star was silent.  Sen launched herself into the air and glowed as brightly as the orb beside her, and she landed on the mountain gracefully.  Her scarf disintegrated, but she didn’t mind.   She stood a while, staring into the void.   _"I don’t suppose you’d be able to go with me on a final walk?  For old time’s sake?"_


	10. Transcendence

Yag’s head was pounding madly. He clenched his teeth and focused all his energy onto one incredibly small point, trying to focus it as much as he could. His lack of skill was evident, but the sheer amount of energy he was putting out to Sen was a testament to his bond with her. Yag gave a final push and screamed out in pain, collapsing on the ground where he was sitting.

The golden orb flickered and went out. For several hair raising seconds, it seemed as though the light that joined with Sen at the very end would go out and never be seen again, but in a flash, a flickering image of Yag appeared next to Sen. It wasn’t a steady image, and he couldn’t speak, but he was whole, healed, and happy to see his friend….and to walk with her through to the other side.

_And this way, when she walks through the light, I can be waiting there on the other side to greet her._

 

Sen sprang forward and tried to hug the image, but she ran through it. _”Oh, right,”_ she laughed.  

Yag’s image smiled and they began to walk step by step into the white light.  Sen’s heart swelled at the thought of seeing Yag and Mari again as well as the Elder and even Tepeyollotyl, who were waiting on the other side.  ”You know,” she breathed as she stepped in first, _"this was really memorable, don’t you think?  This whole thing.  You know."_  Words were failing her as her physical body was beginning to transcend, but she still felt Yag’s presence beside her.

 

Finally back in heaven, Yag was able to speak. _{And we finished it together, your first journey with a companion and my first, and only, journey._

Once Yag had felt her transcend, he was sent back to his body. He leapt up and began running as fast as he could to where she would be in heaven. He didn’t have much time, as eventually she was going to have to return to the physical realm. He spotted her off in the distance and gave his all in a sprint. When he arrived he collapsed on the ground, gasping for air. Yag caught his breath before looking up at Sen. She was surrounded by a bright white light and faint symbols glowed around her. She looked downright beautiful, and Yag was glad he was there to see her.

 

As Sen watched the symbols surround her, a figure emerged from the light. _"Mari!"_  She stepped forward and hugged her first true friend, who smiled and hugged her back.  No other words were spoken as Mari bowed her head and walked away, leaving Sen to finish her transcendence.  

Yag came hurtling out, and slid to a stop, staring at her.  Sen saw him and hopped forward, abandoning all pretense of elegance as she threw her robe hands around him in a tight hug.   _"Hope I don’t squish you!  Too late!"_  She crowed, gripping tighter.  Upon hearing Yag’s humorous growls to release him, she let him go.   _"Hey, maybe you could sign up to be an ancestor!  And then make your own little spiritual you and I could find him and you and I could be best friends all over again!  I don’t know if it actually works that way, but…."_ she chuckled.

She hugged Yag again, but this time with more conviction.   _"Every time I finish a Journey, I’ll come visit you, all right?"_

 

Yag smiled bigger than he ever had before, and tears streamed out of his eyes. He wiped them away, embarrassed. _{W-well, I might occasionally send down my spirit to go play with you. It takes a lot of energy to send myself down with it, but it will be your companion in times I sense you are feeling lonely. Yes, I can sense your feelings wherever you go. And maybe eventually I’ll become one of the ancestors, take Tepeyollotyl’s place, and then your descendants will meet me and you, since hey, maybe you’ll eventually become an ancestor too!}_

Yag knew his time with Sen was almost over. Kissing her forehead gently, he gave a few final words. _{As a celestial being, I hereby give you my blessing. May you be forever protected and watched over from the heavens.}_

 

As she soared over the places she had visited, Sen thought of all the wonderful times she had spent with Yag and her other friends.  

When she landed back at the beginning, late at night, she sat in mediation, staring up at the stars, trying to figure out who was who.  She fell asleep imagining they were looking down at her.

_"Thank you all.  I’ll see you again someday."_

*****FIN******


End file.
